Skincare doesn't run out on a marketing schedule. It runs out on arithmetic: the dose you apply, times how often you apply it, divided into what's in the bottle. Do that arithmetic across a whole routine — we have, for every product we stock — and a useful picture emerges of what a routine actually consumes in a year.
The numbers below assume proper use: the full recommended dose, morning and night where the product calls for it, by one person. Under-dosing stretches a bottle and shortchanges the result — if a product is worth using, it's worth using at the dose it was tested at.
The step-by-step numbers
| Step | Typical life | In practice |
|---|---|---|
| Serums | About 8–9 weeks | The fastest movers in the routine — a twice-daily serum is roughly a six-bottle-a-year habit |
| Exfoliating treatments | About 8–9 weeks | Used the sensible two to three times a week — daily use would drain it faster and your skin wouldn't thank you |
| Cleansers | About 10–11 weeks | Twice a day, a proper amount — if a cleanser lasts six months, not enough is being used |
| Toners | About 10–11 weeks | Tracks the cleanser almost exactly |
| Moisturisers | About 12–13 weeks | A quarter's worth per jar, morning and night |
| Eye care | About 12–13 weeks | The doses are tiny; the bottles are too — it evens out to a quarter |
One nuance worth knowing: a retinol used the recommended two to three nights a week in the early months lasts noticeably longer than the table suggests. As your skin builds tolerance and use becomes nightly, consumption catches up to the serum schedule.
Why we publish this
Two reasons. First, budgeting: a routine is a running cost, not a purchase, and it's easier to commit to one when you know what it consumes. Second, timing: products replaced on time get used consistently, and consistency — not intensity — is what moves skin.
It's also why our loyalty program is built around these same cycles. Members get a reminder when each product in their routine is due to run out, and replenishing inside that window earns 1.5× credit — on time is literally rewarded.
These figures are usage math, not expiry dates. An unopened product's shelf life is printed on its packaging; once opened, the period-after-opening symbol applies.
